Chelsea should reignite interest in this 26-year-old creative ace with £15.4m release clause if their transfer ban is lifted next summer

Why Pablo Sarabia would be an excellent addition to Chelsea’s midfield

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Sevilla star Pablo Sarabia in the January transfer window, with the 26-year-old creative midfielder refusing a transfer to the Stamford Bridge.

The same report claims that the former Real Madrid academy product has a release clause of £15.4 million, with his current contract set to expire in 2020.

Sarabia failed to make his cut into the first-team at Madrid but the Spaniard has taken his career to great heights in the La Liga and the Europa League with Sevilla. After impressing at Getafe, Sarabia completed a switch to Sevilla in 2016 and has established himself as one of Europe’s most undervalued stars, accumulating 39 goals and 35 assists from 142 appearances across all competitions.

The former Spanish youth international has been in scintillating form this season as well, scoring 19 goals and setting up another 13 from 43 appearances.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have appealed to FIFA to have their transfer ban lifted temporarily after being banned from signing new players due to a breach of regulations on 29 instances earlier in the year relating to the transfer of minors. (h/t Daily Mail). The Blues have not hit great heights in their first season under Maurizio Sarri and it is quite easy to predict that the transfer ban has come at the worst possible time for Chelsea.

Having already acquired the services of Christian Pulisic, the Blues desperately needed to add at least another creative midfielder to their ranks next summer but they would now need to rethink their stance based on the verdict of the appeal.

Well, it is a no-brainer that signing a player of Sarabia’s calibre can do a world of good to Chelsea’s rather one-dimensional and toothless midfield. The likes of N’Golo Kante, Ross Barkley, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic have all endured a tumultuous campaign while Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been used far too sparingly for anybody’s liking. Although the likes of Kante, Jorginho and Kovacic have worked hard and have moved the ball around efficiently, the vital link between the forward line and the midfield has gone missing for the most part of the season.

The departure of Cesc Fabregas has further depleted Chelsea’s creative resources in the middle of the park and a technically-gifted and tactically-versatile midfielder like Pablo Sarabia, who has a good reputation of creating chances, should be a perfect fit for Sarri’s system at Stamford Bridge. Essentially a No.10 by trade, the Spaniard is equally effective playing out wide on the left and as a pivot in the middle.

The 26-year-old is blessed with a good turn of pace and his sharpness and quality on the ball combined with his ability to move forward with short exchanges can add more substance to Chelsea’s attack. Adept at working the half-spaces, Sarabia not only has a wonderful eye for playing key passes but he is also equally good at delivering quality crosses into the box. Furthermore, he has a knack of getting into scoring positions with his agility and subtle movement off the ball, attributes that should make him a wonderful signing for the Blues.

This talismanic 22-year-old La Liga star would be best served joining any of these 3 PL sides – Agreed?

Premier League Opinion: 3 ideal summer destinations for Maxi Gomez

La Liga is one of Europe’s premier leagues and the quality of football that is showcased by even the relatively smaller teams in generally top-class. Additionally, unlike in the Premier League, a large number of young players are scouted and signed with the future of the clubs in mind.

One such players was brought in by Celta Vigo in the summer of 2017 from Uruguayan outfit Defensor – talismanic forward Maximiliano Gomez. The 22-year-old has really come into the limelight over the last couple of seasons after putting in some special displays for the La Liga minnows.

The big striker has scored 9 goals in his 25 league
appearances this season while he’s also managed to notch up 5 assists. His
ability to time runs has set him apart as one of the most sought-after young
forwards in the world today.

A report from The Mirror is suggesting that Maxi Gomez could leave Celta for as low as around £21m in the summer if they’re unable to maintain La Liga status with West Ham said to be one of the clubs keen on the Uruguayan’s services.

Given his talismanic nature, here are 3 clubs who should
move for the youngster in the summer:

Liverpool

The Reds have often depended on Mohamed Salah and
Sadio Mane for goals this season and while they have delivered, the addition of
a different striker to the kind that Roberto Firmino is, would certainly go a
long way in improving their squad.

While the Brazilian is an expert at build-up play,
Maxi Gomez would provide a much bigger presence up-front and Liverpool could
utilise him whenever Firmino seems ineffective and a more direct attacking approach
is required.

Chelsea

The Blues have really suffered this season because of
their apparent inability to finish off chances. Despite the recent arrival of
Gonzalo Higuain, their luck doesn’t seem to have changed and a more youthful
forward could be the answer to their troubles.

Gomez is a constant live-wire who will not give the
opposition defence a single moment of respite and that is exactly the kind of
striker that Maurizio Sarri’s system needs. His athleticism and finishing
ability will certainly be useful at Stamford Bridge and he would definitely be
a good investment for the future as well.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham’s dependence on Harry Kane over the years has been extremely worrying and the presence of Spanish forward Fernando Llorente has a backup to the prolific Englishman certainly hasn’t worked out quite as planned.

Maxi Gomez can be the perfect player for Spurs as he
has the ability and versatility to play just behind Harry Kane and really
prosper. His powerful running will complement Kane’s abilities and even if they
do stick to playing with one up-front, he has enough quality to challenge Harry
for the starting role.

Chelsea would strike gold by signing any of these 3 players to replace Mateo Kovacic – including this 20-year-old Ligue 1 prodigy

Chelsea Opinion: These 3 players are all good alternatives to Kovacic

Chelsea’s first season under the managership of former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has been far from a fairy tale. Although it began with a great unbeaten run, off late, their attacking vulnerabilities have come to light in their apparent inability to score goals.

Having drawn blanks in many games this season, Chelsea’s midfield has been blamed time and again because they’re unable to provide any real passes of meaning. With sideways movement and back-passes becoming a highlight of Chelsea’s play, a change is certainly in order.

To make matters worse, Mateo Kovacic is yet to open his scoring account for the Blues. With only a small part of the season left, whether or not he will return to Madrid remains a mystery and it’s one that Chelsea can’t afford take a risk on.

Bringing in an able replacement would certainly be in the best interest of the club.

Here are the 3 players that Chelsea can bring in to replace Kovacic next season:

Kerem Demirbay

The German international midfield player is currently employed by Hoffenheim in Bundesliga but has showcased his supreme quality on enough occasions to warrant a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Excellent on the ball and with sublime vision from midfield, the 25-year-old would slot right into the middle of the Chelsea core and could easily replicate the 4 goals and 4 assists that he’s got from 18 Bundesliga appearances this season.

Houssem Aouar

Olympique Lyon’s midfield prodigy Aouar has been touted for great things in the future given his amazing dribbling and ball control abilities. Added to the fact that he is displays such amazing quality at just 20, should be enough motivation for the Blues to make a move for him.

Having scored 6 and assisted 6 from his 27 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the French youth international is known for his work rate and would be the perfect partner for Chelsea’s midfield engine N’Golo Kante.

Mahmoud Dahoud

Another young German star being developed by Borussia Dortmund’s endless production line of a youth academy, Dahoud is said to be the complete midfield who is both supremely talented on the ball and is also adept at reading play off it.

With just 18 appearances all season for Dortmund, the youngster could be tempted with the possibility of more game time at Chelsea and with an attacking manager like Maurizio Sarri at the helm, the talented 23-year-old can only grow from here.

Bournemouth signing this versatile 20-year-old PL ace on loan would propel them to a top-eight finish next season

According to the Sun, Bournemouth are leading the race to sign Chelsea starlet Mason Mount on loan next season, with manager Eddie Howe keen on acquiring the services of the Englishman in a bid to bolster his midfield options.

Mount has impressed on loan at Derby County this season in the Championship, accumulating 6 goals and 3 assists from a total of 32 appearances in all competitions.

This is not the first time that Mount has enjoyed a fruitful loan spell away from Stamford Bridge, with the 20-year-old making a name for himself with 14 goals and 9 assists at Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie last term.

The midfielder’s scintillating form in the Championship earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s senior England squad last year and a loan spell at a mid-table Premier League club like Bournemouth should be the next stage in his development.

However, if Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban remains in place even after the appeal, Mount might enjoy first-team minutes at Stamford Bridge next season as the Blues will not be able to sign Real Madrid loanee Mateo Kovacic permanently.

Regarded as a technically-gifted and tactically-versatile midfielder, Mount has featured on the left of Frank Lampard’s 4-3-3 at Derby this season but he is equally suited to a No.10 role behind the striker.

Pace and trickery on the ball, tactical responsibility, sharpness, agility and creativity – Mount has it all to make the grade at Bournemouth, with the Cherries currently struggling for stability in the middle of the park.

The youngster knows how to retain possession well, move the ball around and find the right pass, with his vision and intelligence often making him a dangerous presence in the middle of the park.

Not only is he capable of creating opportunities with defence-splitting passes but he is also equally adept at tracking back to help his team cut out the attacks.

Mount is a good crosser as well, and his work-rate coupled with his eye for goal from long-range and set-piece ability should make him a wonderful addition to Bournemouth’s squad.

The Cherries have been hit hard by the long-term injury to Lewis Cook, leaving Howe with Andrew Surman and Dan Gosling as the only options to partner star man Jefferson Lerma at the heart of midfield.

Filled with the exuberance of youth, Mount’s energetic presence in the middle of the park, qualities on the ball and his knack of creating chances should definitely come handy for the Cherries next season.

Mount is an immensely talented footballer and would increase competition for places in the first-team, whilst also adding valuable depth to the squad.